Packaging box



Se t. 14, 1965 H. WENGER PACKAGING BOX Filed Jan. 7, 1965 INVENTOR. #421I E/V651? BY W W United States Patent 3,206,100 PAQKAGING BOX HarryWenger, 257 7th St., Clifton, NJ. Filed Jan. 7, 1963, Ser. No. 249,800 1Claim. (Cl. 22944) This invention relates to a packaging box for thepackaging of consumer products and the like and from which the productis dispensed as required, and the invention is an improvement on theinvention patented 1n my Letters Patent No. 2,764,338.

An object of the invention is to provide a packaging box having aclosure providing a discharge opening and which closure has novel meansadapted to resiliently maintain the same in closed and open relations.

Another object of the invention is to provide a packaging box having aclosure consisting of a hinged wall portion which is resiliently biasedby novel means into open and closed relations and is adapted toresiliently spring to open relation by pressure applied thereagainst.

Still another object of the invention resides in novel means which isbiased longitudinally and transversely for producing a snap springaction of the hinged wall portion into open relation.

Still another object of the invention is to provide the hinged wallportion of the packaging box with an elongated resilient member ofspring metal and the like which is tensioned to bias the same intolongitudinally curved or angular formation and which is deformed incross-section to bias the same into straight formation whereby thehinged Wall portion is adapted to spring from closed to open relation bypressure applied against said resilient member.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, reference is now made tothe following specification and accompanying drawin s in which thepreferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a packaging box constructedin accordance with the invention and showing the closure means in closedrelation.

FIG. 2 is a similar view showing the closure means in open relation.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view takenapproximately on line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken approximately on line 44 ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the spring strip which is tensioned tobias the same into longitudinally extending angular formation.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating an alternate form oftensioning the spring strip for biasing the same into longitudinallyextending bowed formation.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the spring strip which is springtensioned as shown in either FIG. 5 or 6 of the drawings and issubsequently bent transversely into obtuse angular relation to bias thesame into straight formation against said tension.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the spring strip showing an alternateform of bending in which the spring strip is spring tensioned as shownin either FIG. 5 or 6 of the drawings and is subsequently bent intoarcuate shaped formation in cross-section to bias the same into straightformation against said tension.

FIG. 9 is a view in said elevation of a packaging box showing a modifiedform of discharge closure means constructed in accordance with theinvention.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to the form of theinvention shown in FIGS. 1 to 8 inclusive thereof, the packaging box 10is of the type adapted to contain products which are usually dispensedfrom time 3,206,100 Patented Sept. 14, 1965 to time as required. The boxmay be of any desired construction having a closure consisting of ahinged wall portion 11 forming a part of a side wall 12 and which sideWall may be precut therethrough continuously along opposite side edges13 and 14 thereof and along the top edge 15 to form said hinged wallportion which is movable from planar relation with said side wall toopen angular relation therewith to provide a discharge opening 16 fromwhich the contents of the box may be discharged as desired. Instead ofprecutting the side wall 12 along the edges 13, 14 and 15, the same maybe scored or weakened along said lines to permit of the convenientslitting thereof.

In order to provide means for biasing the hinged wall portion 11 intoopen and closed relation, the packaging box is provided with anelongated spring strip 17 of metal or the like, which is secured in anydesired manner against the outer face thereof with the upper portion ofsaid spring strip secured against said hinged wall portion 11 and thelower portion of said spring strip secured against said side wall belowthe hinged wall portion. The metal strip 17 is pretensioned to bias thesame into longitudinally bowed or angular formation as shown in FIGS. 5and 6 of the drawings. The metal strip so tensioned is bent throughoutits length and in the opposite direction from the above-mentionedlongitudinal bend into concave or angular formation in cross-section asshown in FIGS. 7 and 8 of the drawings respectively so as to bias saidstrip into longitudinally extending straight formation as shown in FIG.1 of the drawings so as to resiliently maintain the hinged wall portion11 in closed relation.

I The spring strip 17 may be secured in operative positlon against theside wall 12 by an overlay 18 of thin sheet material or the like whichextends into overlying relation with the adjacent portions of the topwall 19 and opposite side walls 20 and 21 of the packaging box, andcovers and closes the edges 13, 14 and 15 of the hinge wall portion 11.This provides means by which the overlay 18 may be conveniently slitalong said edges to permit of the swinging of the hinged wall portion 11into the open relation on the hinge line 22 as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG.3 of the drawings. The overlay 18 which may be of transparent or ofopaque material retains the spring strip 17 with the bottom face thereofarranged innermost so as to provide a cavity 23 therebetween.

It will be understood that the spring strip may be tensioned to bias thesame into the longitudinally bent formation shown in FIG. 5 of thedrawings or in the longitudinally bowed formation shown in FIG. 6 of thedraw ings and either of these may be bent transversely into angularrelation in cross-section as shown in FIG. 7 of the drawings or inarcuate formation in cross-section as shown in FIG. 8 thereof. Both ofthese forms function to bias the spring strip in normally straightformation as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 of the drawings respectively againstthe tension which biases the strip into the bowed or angular formationsshown in FIGS. 5 and 6 of the drawings. Thus, the spring strip functionsby snap action to spring the wall portion 11 into open relation as shownin FIG. 2 of the drawings when pressure is applied thereagainst in theregion of the word Press which may be printed or otherwise appliedthereto below the hinge line 22. The spring strip also functions toresiliently retain the wall portion 11 in the open relation shown inFIG. 2 of the drawings and in the closed relation shown in FIG. 1 'ofthe drawings in which the side edges thereof are substantially sealed toprevent the entrance of moisture, dust and the like.

Instead of the hinged wall portion 11, the packaging box may beconstructed as shown in FIG. 9 of the drawings in which the oppositeside walls 30 and 31 thereof are precut continuously along the lines 32and 33 and the narrow side wall 34 is precut along the line 35 toprovide a closure in the form of a hinged upper portion 36 which may beswung upwardly to form a discharge opening through which the product maybe dispensed. The rear wall 37 is provided with a spring strip 17, as inthe previously described form of the invention, which is secured theretoin any desired manner and extends into overlying relation with the rearwall 38 of the hinged upper portion 36 to retain the same in normallyclosed relation and which functions by snap action to spring the hingedupper portion into the open relation shown in broken lines in FIG. 9 ofthe drawings. As illustrated, the spring strip 17 may be retained inoperative position against the rear wall 37 of the box and in overlyingrelation with the rear wall 38 of the hinged upper portion 36 by meansof an overlay 39 of sheet material or the like which closely surroundsand fits the upper portion of the packaging box and seals'the precutedges 32, 33 and 35 during shipment and until the product containedtherein is to be used by the consumer. In order to discharge thecontents of the box, the overlay 39 may be conveniently out along thelines 32, 33 and 35 to permit of the swinging of the hinged upperportion 36 into open relation by pressure applied against the springstrip as hereinbefore I described.

There is thus provided a packaging box having a closure adapted to forma discharge opening when in open relation and which is resilientlymaintained in opened and closed relation by means of said spring metalmember 7 open relation, and which is biased to closed relation when thetension of said spring member is overcome by pressure thereagainst.

While the preferred forms of the invention are shown and describedherein, it is to be understood that the same is not so limited but shallcover and include any and all modifications thereof which fall withinthe purview of the invention.

What is claimed is:

In a packaging box having side and end walls and a closure formed as apart thereof and hingedly connected therewith for swinging movement fromopen to closed relation and providing a discharge opening when in openrelation, an elongated spring strip mounted longitudinally against saidclosure, said strip being formed by being worked until there is impartedthereto a normal bias to effect a longitudinal bend therein and thenapparently removing said bias by bending the strip reversely in crosssection whereby the normal longitudinal bias will be returned whenpressure is applied to remove the bend in cross section.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 940,634 11/09'Davis 22917 2,294,964 9/42 Davidson 229-17 2,764,338 9/56 Wenger.

2,960,264 11/ 60 Walter 22944 FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Primary Ex miner.

EARLE J. DRUMMOND, Examiner.

